|
Heart Healthy Eating
By Patrice Powers-Barker, Ohio State University Extension,
Lucas County
The Truth Contributor
It’s February, American Heart Month. The Ohio State
University Wexner Medical Center offers tips for
heart-healthy eating. Think about the amazing work your
heart does for you as it beats around 100,000 times a day!
The heart is often used as a sign for love. What can you do
to love your heart?
First, don’t take your heart for granted! In addition to
eating right, other areas to consider for heart health
include: live tobacco-free, add physical activity to your
day, work with your health care provider to monitor blood
pressure and cholesterol and take time to manage stress.
Talk to your doctor about your heart health and make choices
on a daily basis to love your heart back!
When it comes to eating right, follow these heart healthy
tips:
·
Eat plant based meals. Fill half of your plate with fruits
and vegetables and add a side of whole grains. This will
increase nutrients and can decrease the amount of saturated
fat and cholesterol found in animal products. Skip the
creamy sauces for vegetables which are often high in fat and
salt. When you do prepare meat, choose lean meats, remove
the skin from poultry and prepare meats in ways other than
frying.
·
Decrease total fat intake, especially saturated and trans
fats. Limit the amount of solid fats like butter, margarine,
and shortening when you prepare food. Check the food labels
for fat on foods like cookies, crackers and chips. There are
also good types of fats found in foods like nuts and seeds
but remember to eat all foods in moderation.
·
Choose foods with soluble fiber. Fiber is found in plant
foods like whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Look for
“whole grain” or 100% whole-wheat as the first ingredient on
breads. Other whole grains include brown rice, barley, and
oatmeal. Other plant foods that are high in fiber are pears,
citrus fruits and dried beans.
·
Eat more fish. Certain types of fish are high in omega-3
fatty acids, which may lower the risk of heart disease.
Cold-water fish like salmon, mackerel and herring as well as
tuna and trout are high in omega 3 fatty acids. Make sure
the fish is not fried. Prepare or order it broiled, grilled
or baked.
·
Avoid foods where large amounts of salt/sodium have been
added. Try to eat less than 1,500 milligrams of sodium per
day. Reducing the amount of salt added when cooking or at
the table is an important step. Use herbs and spices to
flavor foods without adding extra sodium. A lot of the salt
that Americans eat comes from canned and processed foods. If
you like the convenience of canned soups, look for one with
reduced sodium.
·
Keep serving sizes moderate. Skip these actions: overloading
your plate, taking seconds and thirds and eating until you
are stuffed. Keep track of the portions you eat throughout
the day so you are not over-eating certain food groups and
missing out of the others. For example, most Americans tend
to eat enough protein or meat throughout the day but do not
eat the recommended amount of vegetables. Remember that
portions served at restaurants are often much larger than
recommended serving sizes. So, unless you’re doubling up on
some vegetables, think about sharing that large entrée or
taking half of it home for lunch tomorrow.
There are special diets like the DASH diet to help protect
your health. DASH stands for Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension. The diet promotes eating foods that are low in
fat, cholesterol and salt. It promotes fruits, vegetables,
whole-grains and low-fat dairy products. One thing to
remember about eating healthy – it’s not just about cutting
back. Make sure you include and increase foods like
vegetables and fruits if you don’t eat enough now. Even if
you do not specifically follow the DASH diet, you might find
ideas and recipes to help with a healthy lifestyle. Don’t
forget to use resources such as the American Heart
Association to learn more about keeping your heart healthy.
Would you like to join others in Lucas County to learn more
and make a personal goal for your heart health? OSU
Extension, Family and Consumer Sciences is partnering with
the Toledo-Lucas County Public Library to talk about “Heart
Healthy Cooking” on Monday February 10th at
Oregon Branch Library (3340 Dustin Rd. Oregon, OH, phone
419-259-5250) from 6:30-8:00pm. Here’s the program
description:
February is more than just a month to celebrate love that
comes from our hearts -- it's also the month to recognize
the
health of our hearts. So, in recognition of
American Hearth Month, we're offering a cooking
demonstration of delicious, heart healthy foods.
Please join us as we prepare and taste easy, flavorful
recipes that not only taste good, but are good for us. If
you have any questions, please email Patrice at
powers-barker.1@osu.edu or 419-213-2022. |
